Toby
Toby is a small wooden steam tram who works on the Ffarquhar Branch Line, taking the Workmen up to Anopha Quarry along the Quarry Tramroad. He previously worked on a tramway in East Anglia, England, with his coach, Henrietta, but their line closed down. Shortly after this, they were brought to Sodor to work on the North Western Railway. Toby is an old and wise steam engine who knows everything about running branch lines well. He is one of the wiser engines working on the Ffarquhar Branch Line, and although he may be weaker than some of the other engines, he is still a hard-working and useful engine. Aside from Henrietta, Toby also owns a vintage coach, Victoria, and a small goods van, Elsie. Biography The Special Attraction Toby was built at Stratford Works in 1914, and he and his brothers worked at Great Yarmouth Docks, Norfolk, shunting trucks to and fro around the port. He was once chosen to attend a seaside village's festival, and was polished and painted especially for the event. Unfortunately, when he arrived, Toby was turned away on the grounds that there was no room for him, but his crew believed the organizers had only done it as they feared Toby would outshine their own branch line.Toby, Trucks and Trouble Tramway Troubles Toby was later relocated to a small tramway in East Anglia, where he began working alongside his faithful coach, Henrietta. However, they began to receive less and less service over time, as the buses and lorries were quickly taking most of their work. During the tramway's final days, Toby was visited by a stout gentleman, who rode in his cab with his family. A few weeks later, the tramway was closed, and Toby was locked up in his shed. However, in a delightful turn of events, Toby was called by the Stout Gentleman - the Fat Controller - to come to the North Western Railway to work for him, as he needed a tram engine to work on the Quarry Tramroad after Thomas ran into trouble with an officious policeman. Toby brought Henrietta with him when he came to Sodor, and began working on the Ffarquhar Branch Line, taking the Workmen up to Anopha Quarry and coming back down with loaded trucks. Thomas was initially jealous of Toby, but when he heard how Toby had frightened the police officer that had caused him the trouble to begin with, he quickly befriended him. Personality and Traits Technical Details Basis Livery Background Information Toby in Thomas & Friends Toby is a main character in Thomas & Friends. Unlike his original Railway Series portrayal, Toby lived on a branch line north of Sodor before he began working on Thomas' Branch Line instead of a tramway in East Anglia. He has sometimes been portrayed as being more cowardly than he ought to be, but in more recent seasons, he has been portrayed with his original personality. Appearances The Railway Series Other Books Trivia * In Thomas Comes Home, Toby is mistakenly illustrated with two faces, one on each end. This is the only time he appeared like this. Gallery References Category:Characters Category:North Western Railway Category:Ffarquhar Branch Line Category:Steam locomotives Category:Tank engines Category:0-6-0